Being Ron
by SometimesYouFeelLikeaKnut
Summary: What if Ron was given the chance to go back to before he kissed Lavender in sixth year? What if he went to Slughorn's party with Hermione? Dr. Tom is going to give him that chance. Being Erica crossover...kinda. Only one character makes cameos.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: What if Ron was given the chance to go back to before he kissed Lavender in sixth year? What if he went to Slughorn's party with Hermione? Dr. Tom is going to give him that chance. (Being Erica crossover)

Chapter 1

Ron woke up, unsure of where he was for a second. He had been dreaming about how he had wasted their last year before going to war with Lavender Brown. Well, the dream had actually been Lavender holding him hostage in Myrtle's bathroom and Hermione came to tell him everything that was wrong with him. She would be at The Burrow tomorrow and then they would go get Harry from the Dursleys' one last time. The Chudley Cannons clock on his wall told him it was half past three in the morning. She'd be there in four hours. He rolled over on his side, but that didn't work, so he tried his back, then the other side, then his stomach, but he just couldn't get comfortable. And now he had to pee. He rolled out of bed, put on his robe, and blindly made his way to the loo, hoping that if he didn't keep his eyes open, he could go right back to sleep when he got back to bed. He opened the door, untying his pajama pants with the other hand. He was starting on the snap buttons when he heard someone clearing their throat.

Ron's heart stopped and he froze. He had left his wand on his nightstand. He was totally helpless if whoever had done that was a Death Eater. He opened his eyes and found himself facing a bookshelf. _When the bloody hell did that get there? _

"Hello, Ron," said a man behind him.

Ron whirled around, ready to jump on the guy, but then he saw that he was in an office. He must still be dreaming. This was one of these dreams where you can't find a toilet because in reality you have to pee, that's all.

"You're not dreaming," the man said. He had dark hair, with streaks of grey, dark eyes, and was wearing a Muggle suit. He must be a Legilimens. Ron really wished he had learned Occlumency.

"I'm not a wizard, Ron, but I'm not a Muggle either. I am a therapist and my particular brand of therapy is just what you need, I think." The man leaned forward and clasped his hands together, elbows on the desk.

"Who are you? What's your name?" Ron asked. Maybe if he just played along, this dream would change into something amazing, like Hermione in the bath.

"I am Dr. Tom. Please, have a seat. I'm not going to hurt you, please do not worry." He gestured to chair in front of Ron, who sat down warily. "So, tell me your regrets, leading up to the biggest one."

Ron just stared at him. "Why would I tell you something like that? I don't know you!"

"Oh, but I know _you, _Ronald Bilius Weasley. When you were a kid, your brothers turned your teddy into a giant spider and ever since you've suffered from arachnophobia."

Ron was incredulous. "Anyone could find that out. It's not a big secret, especially after that time in third year I ran screaming from the dormitory showers because there was a family of spiders in the corner." He shuddered at the memory.

"Alright, let's cut straight to the good stuff, then. When your father almost died in fifth year, you thought about telling Harry to leave because a part of you wondered if he really had made it happen, even if it was by accident." Dr. Tom looked at him kindly. He was starting to remind him of Dumbledore.

"How-" Ron's mouth gaped open.

"I told you, Ron. I am not a wizard, but I am not a Muggle either. I am a special kind of therapist. I can send you back in time, to a moment of regret, and give you the chance to change things. Would something like that interest you? If not, you can leave now and never even remember you were here beyond some vague notion that you once had a very strange dream. What will it be?" He sat back in his chair and waited patiently while Ron thought.

"I thought all the Time Turners were destroyed over a year ago? How is it possible?"

Dr. Tom smiled. "The how of it is not what matters, Ron. The only thing that matters right now is your decision. If you want we can just talk about your regrets and then you can decide if you want to go back in time and change one of them, of my choosing. Does that sound fair?"

"Yeah I guess." Ron may as well go along with it. He wasn't going back to bed now, so he took a deep breath and described his first regret.

"I should never have called Hermione a nightmare in first year. She nearly got killed by a mountain troll! Then again, if that hadn't happened who knows if Harry and I would have ever snapped out of it and realized how great Hermione is? I can't imagine what my life would be like without her. I'd likely be dead, to tell you the truth. We would've been killed by Devil's Snare and that would be the end of it." Ron looked at Dr. Tom, expecting to be told that he was doing this thing wrong, but he just smiled.

"Go on. I promise you, I'm listening. Just keep talking and I'll tell you when we've reached the one I want to send you back to."

"Okay...I regret taking the flying Ford Anglia for a ride at the beginning of second year because it broke my wand. Though," Ron said thoughtfully, "that worked out in the end because I got a new wand to replace Charlie's old one." He shrugged. "Still, I'd much rather forget the taste of slugs. Although Professor Lockhart's spell backfiring on him was almost as good as Malfoy-the-amazing-bouncing-ferret in my mental list of hilarious and fitting punishments." He laughed and Dr. Tom smiled. "So, maybe taking the Ford Anglia for a flight isn't a regret after all." Ron was starting to like this therapy thing. He felt lighter already. Maybe he just needed to talk about these things and then he'd be fine. He dove into the next one, giving more detail and insight this time.

"There was the way I treated Hermione in third year. I was such a wanker. I really don't think there's any silver lining there. I simply shouldn't have yelled at her about the Firebolt and taken Scabber's disappearance out on her. That all worked out in the end, though, I suppose. Harry got the Firebolt back and Scabbers turned out to be a traitorous Death Eater, which made our fight seem unimportant in comparison. Besides, she told me that summer, before Harry got to The Burrow, that she forgave me for it and that she understood why I would react so harshly about thinking my pet was dead. I think she understands me more than I understand myself sometimes, because she went on for bloody forever about how being overshadowed by my brothers made me feel and how even though Scabbers was something I got from Percy, he was _my _pet and no one else's and other things that I didn't even know I was feeling. Then we got into a row because I called her mental because well, she hit a nerve and I didn't want to talk about it. Anyway, it's still not quite a regret because it brought us closer, strangely enough." If Hermione could hear him now, she wouldn't believe it. Ron Weasley was talking about his feelings. A horrible thought occurred to him.

"You're not going to tell anyone else what I'm telling you?" Dr. Tom shook his head. "No, as your therapist, I am bound to keep your secrets." Ron sighed in relief, then carried on.

"Where was I? Oh yeah, then there was the Yule Ball. I don't even know if I would change it if I had the chance. I think at that age I would have ruined any chance of her liking me if she had known how I dance." He looked at Dr. Tom to see if he had laughed at his small joke. Not even a little bit.

"Though, I guess not being such a bloody prat about Vicky would have been a good enough start. Still, I wouldn't quite call it a regret, more like a mistake. That night made me realize how much I really care about Hermione and I wouldn't wish away those feelings for anything, even if they do make me panic sometimes. I can just be talking to her and out of nowhere the thought of kissing her will enter my mind. After that happens, I don't hear a word she says because it's all I can think about and I start to panic that maybe she can read my mind, especially after that long speech about my "inferiority complex" and all her other insights about me. Which, honestly, just makes me care about her more. Who else would even bother to think about the way I'm feeling? Harry's a good friend and all, but he's got enough on his plate already to be worrying about how down I can get on myself."

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Amazingly enough, I didn't mess up in a big way in fifth year. Hermione and I were a united front against Harry's outbursts. We still had rows, but we still talked to each other after them. It was a huge step, but then last year I had to ruin it. I have to say that that is my biggest regret, snogging Lavender." Ron faltered, not sure what to say next.

"Tell me about that day, about kissing Lavender for the first time."

"Well, we had just won the Quidditch game and everyone was excited. We were in the common room, I had no idea where Harry and Hermione were, so I was talking to Dean and Seamus about all the saves I made. I was really upset with Hermione because she had just told me that she didn't think I could play that well without luck potion. It didn't help that a few days, or maybe weeks, before I found out she had kissed Victor Krum. I thought if she was kissing guys like him, she'd never go for a guy like me." Ron paused, scratching the back of his neck and thinking about how horrible he had felt at that time.

"Anyway, so I was thinking about that in the back of my mind when Lavender came up and smiled at me. Dean and Seamus left us alone and before I knew it she was lunging at me and we were kissing. Hermione saw it and it really hurt her, but I didn't realize it. I mean, I knew she was upset when she sent that flock of birds at me, but she had kissed Victor Krum. Why would my kissing Lavender bother her? I'm nobody." Ron rubbed his face. "We didn't really talk for months, not until I almost died. Then it took me awhile to get rid of Lavender because I'm a bloody coward, but at least Hermione was talking to me again."

"If you could go back, what would you do differently?" Dr. Tom asked.

"I would dodge Lavender's kiss, spend the evening celebrating with Harry and Hermione, apologize to her for yelling at her about the potion and giving her the silent treatment before, and take her to Slughorn's party."

"Alright," Dr. Tom said and before Ron knew what hit him he was spinning. He shut his eyes to keep from getting dizzy. When he opened them, Lavender's lips were millimeters away from his own. Before he could move, she was kissing him.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_Why was this happening?_ Ron thought, as he stood frozen with Lavender attacking his lips. Hermione can't see this, she just can't. Ron snapped himself out of his shock and pulled away from her.

"Oh, Ron!" Lavender exclaimed, oblivious to his lack of enthusiasm. She leaned forward again, but this time Ron was ready. He stepped back, making her lose her balance. She steadied herself. "What are you doing?"

"I gotta go," he said quickly. Barely noticing Lavender's astonished expression, Ron looked around the common room for Hermione, but couldn't find her. Nor could he find Harry. _Bloody hell. _He headed straight for the portrait hole, ignoring his friends as they congratulated him on the match. He had to apologize and explain to her. Everything would be okay if he could just do that. Shutting the portrait behind him, he headed toward the classroom where he knew she would be.

Her sobs cut through him as he neared the classroom. Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the door and peeked inside. She sat on a desk with Harry awkwardly patting her on the back. He noticed Ron first and he scolded him with his eyes. Ron entered the room and cleared his throat. Hermione looked up and stammered, "What do y-y-you want?"

Before Ron could say anything, Lavender ran up behind him and threw her arms around his neck. "Why'd you run away, Ron?" She giggled. "Are you shy?" He looked at Hermione, seeing anger and hurt flash in her eyes. Lavender noticed her too. "Oh hi, Hermione. Harry. Why are you crying?" Ron pulled her arms off of him and turned to her and whispered, "Can you just go? _Please?_"

She looked hurt and Ron felt bad for a moment. He turned around and Hermione was striding straight towards him. He raised his arms a little, preparing to hug and comfort her before spilling his heart out, but she didn't give him a chance.

"Have fun with your _girlfriend_," she spat out the last word with disgust. "Hermione!" he called, but Lavender's shriek masked it, "Girlfriend! Oh, Ron! You couldn't wait to tell your friends? You're the sweetest!" She launched herself at him, giving him no choice but to catch her or else be knocked over. A loud sob echoed throughout the corridor. _Shit. _

He pushed Lavender away and ran after Hermione. "Hermione, wait! Wait!" She spun around, her eyes ablaze with rage. "Oppugno!" she exclaimed with a strike of her wand. Ron covered his face with his arms, which stung as the canaries pecked him with their sharp beaks. Ron barely noticed his own pain, however, as he looked up and saw Hermione's face just before she spun around and ran away. The pain in her eyes hit his chest like a bludger.

When the birds finally disappeared, he started to head to the library, sure she'd go there before the common room, hoping to catch up to her, but someone grabbed his hand. Thinking it was Lavender, he threw it off, "Get away from me!"

"Fine, mate. I just think you should leave her alone for now," said Harry. Ron spun around at the sound of his voice. "Sorry. I thought you were Lavender."

"No, I told her to head back to the common room while you were fighting off birds. Speaking of her, what the bloody hell were you thinking?" Harry asked forcefully. "I wasn't! I mean, I didn't want to kiss her! She kissed me! I pushed her away and came straight here!" Ron exclaimed defensively.

"How did you know where she'd be?" Harry asked.

"This was just the first empty classroom I tried," Ron lied smoothly. As he looked at Harry's nod of acceptance of this lie, Ron's stomach clenched in discomfort. Looking at his best friend reminded him of everything he couldn't tell him about what was to come that year. He needed to be alone to figure out what to do.

"Can you go after Hermione? She needs someone and she probably won't listen to me right now," Ron asked.

"Sure, mate," Harry said as he clapped Ron on the shoulder. "Do you want me to tell her what happened?"

Ron shook his head. "I want to be the one to tell her, but try to convince her to talk to me tomorrow. Please?"

Harry nodded. "I'll try." He headed in the direction Hermione had left. When he had rounded the corner, Ron headed back into the classroom, sitting down where Hermione had been moments before. He cursed Dr. Tom in his mind. How could he send him back at that moment, not giving him any time at all to avoid Lavender's kiss? Now what was he going to do? He was just finishing going over in his mind what he was going to say to Hermione the next day when a shadow filled the doorway.

"Don't worry, I'm not Mr. Filch," came the familiar and currently infuriating voice.

Ron sprang up, "What the bloody hell were you thinking? Lavender still kissed me and Hermione saw it! This isn't what I wanted at all!"

"No, but it was what you needed," Dr. Tom said calmly. Ron crossed his arms and stared at him. "And what exactly does that mean?"

"It means, Ron, that the thing you needed to fix and learn from wasn't kissing Lavender, but the way you handled everything after the fact. This is your chance to do it right, to not let your insecurity get the best of you, and to let Hermione know how you truly feel."

What he said made sense, but Ron was too stubborn to admit it so he grunted in compliance instead.

"Good, I'm glad that's settled. Is there anything else before I leave?"

"What if she rejects me? Can't you send me back again to, I don't know, the locker room after the match?"

"'When one door closes, another opens. But we often look so regretfully upon the closed door that we don't see the one that has opened for us.' Anne Frank," Dr. Tom replied with an irritating air of calm.

"What the bloody hell does that mean?" Ron asked. Dr. Tom just smiled. "You'll figure it out, Ron." He left the room and Ron followed him, but the corridor was empty. Ron shoved his hands in his pockets and headed back to the common room, rehearsing in his head what he would say to Hermione the next day. That is, if Harry succeeded in convincing her to listen to him.

* * *

"Ron! For the last time! She said she'd talk to you after breakfast!" Harry exclaimed, exasperated. They were getting dressed

"I know, but _how _did she say it?" Ron asked. Harry gripped his mop of black hair and groaned in annoyance. "How am I to know? And look, I figured out you fancied Hermione back in fourth year and I'm glad you're finally admitting it, but it's kind of weird how you went from being furious at Hermione about the luck potion thing one moment and the next you're begging her forgiveness. What's with you? What changed?"

_Oh, only I've already mucked everything up this year, I almost died, you're completely right about Draco and you'll almost kill him this year.. Also, did I mention that Voldemort made these things called Horcruxes and you have to destroy them before you can kill him? Oh, and Snape killed Dumbledore._

"Nothing. Maybe Lavender's kiss knocked some sense into me?" Ron was reaching now, but Harry seemed to buy it. Ron rushed out of the room and down the stairs, hoping to catch Hermione in the common room so he could be reassured that she actually was going to talk to him. She wasn't there, however. Harry stepped behind him and said, "She's probably already eating. You know how early she wakes up even on the weekend."

"Yeah, you're right." By the time they reached the entrance to the Great Hall, Ron's heart was trying to leap out of his chest. "What if I mess things up even more than they already are?" Harry shrugged. "Thanks, you've been a great help."

"Hey, she agreed to talk to you, didn't she?"

"Yeah, you're right."

"Now, can I eat my breakfast without you talking about Hermione the whole time?" Harry pushed open the door. The Gryffindor table cheered when everyone saw them enter. "What are they cheering for?"

"We won yesterday, remember?"

"Oh yeah. That seems like it happened ages ago." Ron searched the Gryffindor table for Hermione's thick, curly hair, but she wasn't there. How was he going to find her after breakfast without her being here? He looked at Harry and with the slight edge of panic in his voice asked, "Are you sure she said after breakfast? Not during?"

"I'm sure. She said that after she finished breakfast, she'd talk to you." Ron groaned. "Harry! She's probably already eaten! Great, now what do I do?" Harry was walking away from him, towards Ginny. Ron watched as Harry blushed and fidgeted. Ginny looked over at Ron then back at Harry. She seemed to still be upset with him about the whole Dean thing. He wondered if it would be breaking Dr. Tom's rules if he apologized to her for that. Harry strode back toward him. "Ginny said that Hermione said she was going to the library when she finished eating. We missed her by a couple of minutes."

"Merlin's pants!" Ron exclaimed, drawing the stares of the Ravenclaws seated nearest to them. He barely noticed them as he spun around and ran towards the library. He arrived there a few minutes later, his heart pounding, with a stitch in his side. He coughed as he caught his breath, his hands on his knees. He had never run so fast in his life. Soon, his breathing was back to normal and he opened the door. Madame Pince glanced up at him and then gestured to one of the back tables. He mouthed "Thanks" to her. He approached Hermione cautiously, wary of more spells. The prospect of this being some sort of trap occurred to him, so he gripped his wand under his cloak just in case.

He had nothing to worry about, however, as Hermione was reading, completely immersed in whatever subject she was researching. Ron savored a moment's peace in her presence. Then she looked up as a floorboard creaked underneath him, and her eyes narrowed in disapproval. He quickened his steps and took a seat across from her. Taking a deep breath, he launched into his big speech, "Hermione, I'll understand if you want to stay mad at me for a while, but if you would just listen-"

She cut him off, "Listen? You want me to listen to you? No, Ronald Weasley. Here's what's going to happen today. _You _are going to listen to _me_."

Ron stared at her. "Don't give me that look! I understand perfectly well what happened last night and I don't need you to explain it to me!" Ron opened his mouth to tell her she misunderstood, that she was wrong, but she didn't give him a chance. "I told you that you're going to listen!" Madame Pince came over to them and put her hand on her hip. "Sorry, Madame Pince. We were just leaving."

Hermione grabbed all her books and trudged out of the library. Inspiration hit Ron. "Here, let me carry some of those for you!"

"Ron, I am perfectly capable of carrying my books on my own!" A couple of first years scurried past them, frightened. "Look what you made me do! I'm a prefect! I can't go around scaring first years!"

"I'm sorry!"

Ron followed her into an empty classroom. "Look, Ron," she said as she leaned against a desk. "I just wish you had told me that you didn't want to go to Slughorn's party with me. You didn't have to kiss Lavender in front of the whole common room to show that you like her." Hermione was avoiding eye contact.

"What? I don't like Lavender." _I like you. _He couldn't bring himself to say it aloud.

"That's not what she thinks. She couldn't stop talking about you in our room this morning. She thinks you're together now." Hermione looked at him accusingly. Ron stepped toward her, but she stepped sideways, putting a desk between them.

"Hermione, we're not. If that's what she thinks, then she's mistaken. And so are you." She crossed her arms. "Well, I guess you can explain why you were kissing her? And why you caught her in your arms and held her in the classroom? I thought..."

"You thought right, Hermione. In Herbology...when you said you were going to ask me to Slughorn's party, I took it to mean we were going together too. I still want to...if you'll let me." He looked at her hopefully.

Hermione bit her bottom lip in concentration. "But what about Lavender?"

"What about her? There is absolutely nothing going on between us and there never will be. _She_ kissed _me._ I didn't want to and I pulled away as soon as I got over the shock. I swear, Hermione. I never wanted to hurt you." Ron gathered all the Gryffindor courage he had and reached for her hand. She didn't stop him, so he gathered it in his. It was soft, except for a rough bump on her index finger from holding her quill. Her fingers were already smeared with ink from her morning's work. Ron found it comforting. He pulled his eyes away from her hand and moved his gaze up to her face. She was blushing. Ron's stomach flipped in victory.

"I believe you," she finally said. Ron grinned. "But," she said as she pulled her hand out of his, "you still need to talk to her. She's under the impression you're her boyfriend now. You need to be honest with her. She has the right to know that the guy she likes and _kissed_ doesn't like her back."

"Oh," Ron said, feeling defeated. He couldn't ditch her last time and he wasn't feeling any more capable of it now. She was downright scary when she dumped him; he couldn't imagine what she'd be like if he essentially dumped her. "Can you help me?" he asked desperately.

Hermione glared at him. "I'll take that as a no, then?"

"Let me know when you've talked to her." She gathered her things and began to walk away.

"Hermione, wait!" She turned around. "So, this means we're going to the party together?"

"_If _you talk to Lavender before then, yes we are." She smirked as she spun around.

Ron grinned as he walked to the common room. Maybe Harry could help him out and he could ditch Lavender before lunch and have Hermione in his arms before dinner.

"Ron!" shouted a familiar voice. His good spirits plummeted. Lavender caught up with him and tried to grab his hand, but he snatched it away. So much for getting Harry's help. He'd have to do this now before she started calling him Won-Won. He shuddered at the memory. "Lavender, we should talk-"

"Oh! I know, Ron! We didn't get a chance to last night. Harry was so rude to me! I would have waited up for you, but Pavarti needed to talk to me." Ron imagined what it would have been like to find Lavender waiting for him in the common room. He almost wished she had been because it would have been easier to say what he needed to say while the whole idea of being back in sixth year was fresh and felt like a dream. Now it was very much a reality and he wasn't sure how long he was going to be here. He wanted to be with Hermione more than anything, but when it came to girls he had no idea how to be tactful. His insecurities that had prevented him from ditching Lavender last time, even after being poisoned, began to eat away at him. What if everything went horribly wrong at the party with Hermoine? What if she realized she didn't fancy him after all and ditched him for McLaggen right there at the party? What if their friendship was ruined by it? He had gone months without her as his friend and it was the worst thing to ever happen to him.

"Look, Lavender-"

"I wish one of us was in with Slughorn's crowd. I'd love to go to the party. Do you think Harry or Hermione could put in a good word for us?" she asked, looking up at him pitifully. This is so hard. How the hell had Harry ditched Ginny when he actually liked her and Ron couldn't even ditch his non-girlfriend that was only in the way of the one girl he liked? He felt no different about hurting her than he did the first time around. "Is Hermione okay?" she asked.

"What?"

"Well, she was crying last night and she wasn't back in our room by the time I fell asleep. I just wanted to know if she was okay." Ron thought of how Hermione had let him hold her hand that morning and the memory strengthened his resolve. "She'll be fine. Look, Lavender, you're...nice." She smiled. "But, I...I like someone else." She was silent for a moment and then she exploded.

"But...but you flirted with me! You said you had noticed me this year in a new way and then I told you I felt the same and then we kissed! What do you mean you like someone else?" _Bloody hell, I did say that to her last time around before we kissed, didn't I?_

"I...well...I..." He thought of what Harry had told Ginny and gave it a go. "Lavender, being Harry's best friend, I'm a target and I don't want-"

"Oh, don't bother. You're just embarrassing yourself now. Goodbye, Weasley." She stomped away. _Well, that went better than expected_, he thought. Then he heard sobs in the distance and realized that he had hurt her anyway. He felt awful.

"Ron, what are you doing?" Hermione caught up with him. "Why aren't you talking to Lavender?" Ron suddenly felt great because for once, he had could tell her had done something right.

"She just left, actually. I managed to ditch her this time." She looked at him quizzically. "I mean, well it didn't work last night." She didn't look quite convinced, so he decided to distract her. "So, this means we can go to the party together? A proper date, yeah?" Her eyes lit up and her voice was soft as she said, "Yeah, I guess so." They stood there grinning at each other like fools for several minutes.

"Oh, how perfect! The Mudblood and the blood traitor finally got it together!" snarled Malfoy.

"Shut it, Malfoy!" Ron clenched his fist. He wanted to beat Malfoy until he would have to spend the rest of the year in the hospital wing and then couldn't get Dumbledore killed, but Dr. Tom's words replayed in his mind and kept him in check. He grabbed Hermione's hand. "C'mon, Hermione. Let's go some place where there are no slimy gits milling about."

When they were out of earshot of Malfoy, Hermione asked, "I wonder why he's up here? There are no classes today and the Slytherin common room is in the dungeons."

"Who knows? Maybe he's secretly dating a Gryffindor," Ron joked. Hermione giggled and then she looked down at their hands that were clasped together. She seemed thoroughly distracted from the fact that Draco had been heading in the direction of the Room of Requirement, which was good because they weren't supposed to know yet. _Blimey this is going to be hard. _

"Ron, are you okay?" They were standing in front of The Fat Lady. Hermione touched his cheek and he smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said. "You just seem distracted. Are you sure you're okay?" He nodded and looked at her lips. Suddenly Malfoy and the Room of Requirement were the furthest things from his mind. They leaned forward, Ron closed his eyes, his heart pounding in his chest. This was it! He was finally going to kiss Hermione!

Someone coughed. Ron opened his eyes prepared to murder whoever had just interrupted them. Hermione looked just as incensed as he felt. To his credit, Harry looked sheepish. "So, you made up then?" They both nodded. "Great! Now you two can finally just get on with it, right?"

"Harry!"

"What, Hermione? It's the truth." Despite his words, Harry seemed awkward. "Well, I'll just go on in and leave you alone." _Thank you, Harry!_ "It's okay, Harry. I need to get started on my Charms essay anyway," Hermione said. Ron's hopes plummeted. "But that isn't due for two weeks!" he exclaimed, more furious at homework than he had ever been in his entire life.

"Ten days, actually and that's not that long considering how long it needs to be and all the other essays we have due between now and then."

Ron sighed in resignation as Hermione turned to The Fat Lady and gave the password. Harry waggled his eyebrows at Ron while Hermione dug through her rucksack for her Charms book. Ron glared at Harry for ruining the moment. Now he was stuck doing homework that he technically had already done months ago. This going back in time business was kind of like punishment. He sat next to Hermione at one of the tables and had just settled into a bad mood when he felt Hermione's arm rest against his. Goosebumps erupted at every point of contact and he blushed. He looked over at her and she was smirking as she wrote determinedly. She had already filled almost a foot of parchment. He shifted his arm so there was more contact. It was unnatural how their arms lay still like that (and made it rather difficult for Ron to write as he was right handed), but Ron didn't want to break contact. Harry looked up from his own essay after writing half a foot and asked, "Fancy a game of chess, Ron?"

"Huh? Oh, no. I really should finish this essay."

"You've only written your name and the title. I figured you were bored too."

"Even more reason to keep working on it! I don't want to fall behind or anything." Harry looked at Ron like he had grown another head. Hermione giggled and Harry finally noticed their arms. Ron stared at him, daring him to say anything, a dare upon which Harry almost took him up on. His mouth was opening when Ginny breezed by and Harry turned to watch her settle down on the couch next to Seamus.

"Oi! Ginny!" Harry called out. "Fancy a game of chess?"

"Sure, Harry."

They worked on their essays for a little longer. Ron finished before Hermione, writing enough to reach the minimum length requirement. He was playing chess with Harry when Hermione came over to ask if they wanted to visit Hagrid.

"I can't," said Harry. "I should probably finish that essay since I have no idea when Dumbledore will spring another lesson on me." He looked pleased, though, probably because he had just spent time with Ginny.

Ron and Hermione made plans to meet Harry for lunch in the Great Hall and they were off. They took their time walking across the grounds to Hagrid's hut. The subject of their upcoming date hung in the air, but neither one of them addressed it. Hermione slipped her hand into his as they passed the lake and his heart sped up. It had never felt this way with Lavender, not even during the brief time he thought it was possible they'd work out. That had been before Hermione set the birds on him, so it was short lived.

"Ron, I'm really worried about that book of Harry's. I don't like this Half-Blood Prince person at all."

_You have no idea how right you are. _He said, "I'm sure Harry knows what he's doing." Ron thought of being awakened by being turned upside down and Harry almost killing Draco. He wanted to tell Hermione she was right and that they should steal the book and hide it, but he didn't. He couldn't do anything to change the past, except his relationship with Hermione.

They arrived at Hagrid's and Fang almost knocked them over when the door swung open. Hagrid's eyes were watery.

"What's wrong, Hagrid?" Hermione asked. He didn't answer, he just poured them some tea and cake.

"Aragog's sick!" he exclaimed when he was finished playing host. Ron felt a stab of guilt for not going to the funeral before and for not visiting Hagrid enough the first time around because Lavender didn't want to have tea with a professor.

"That's awful, Hagrid. Is there anything we can do?" Ron asked before thinking. _Bugger! Please say no, please say no, please say no!_

"Yer sweet to ask, Ron, but Aragog's family is mighty keen to attack _me _let alone someone who 'scaped 'em before." Ron relaxed. They finished up their tea, promising to bring Harry with them the next time and set off to the castle.

"Ron, are you feeling okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you just offered Hagrid to help him take care of a giant spider."

"Ah, I see why you're worried. Don't worry, I'm not touched in the head or anything. I was really hoping he'd say no. I just feel so bad for him, losing his friend like that."

"'Losing his friend'? What do you mean, Ron? You don't think Aragog is going to die, do you?" She looked horrified.

"No! I mean, I don't know. I don't know why I said that."

He looked at her and she didn't look convinced, almost as though she suspected something. _Quick! Distract her!_

"So should I get you flowers?" _That's it! _

"Flowers?" She looked utterly confused.

"For the Christmas party?"

"Oh." She smiled. "If you want to, but you don't have to." Ron furrowed his brow. "I thought girls liked flowers?"

"I'm not going to help you woo me, Ron."

"Woo you?"

"Well, okay, I'm pretty much wooed." Ron smiled smugly. "_However_, I want everything you do that night to come from you, not from what I've told you to do. It's not like I even know what to do. How often is it that I go on a date with my best friend?"

"So...we'll be lost together?" She smiled and hugged him. "Yes, we'll be lost together," she whispered.

_A/N: So sorry that this took ages, but I'm pretty pleased with it. I was busy with the end of the semester and then for half of winter break I had house guests and my laptop broke at one point and I wasn't quite sure how to close the chapter. Classes begin on Monday, so it may be a while before I update again, but hopefully not as long as it took for this one. Cheers!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Amazingly, Ron did nothing to ruin things with Hermione in the weeks leading up to Slughorn's party. He met her in the common room every morning, getting there before Harry so they could have some time alone. Unfortunately, it was usually only five or ten minutes because however much Ron fancied Hermione he was still inherently lazy and was definitely not a morning person. They would spend these precious minutes talking and Ron learned more about her family than he had in their six years of friendship previous; five years to her, he had to remind himself constantly.

While everything with Hermione was going better than he could have ever hoped, his friendship with Harry had become strained. He couldn't distract Harry from his slip-ups by talking about getting him flowers or about the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed like he could with Hermione. He didn't think Harry noticed because he wandered the castle so often at night that their late night chats had become few and far between. Still, he could help feeling guilty for knowing all the information that Harry was searching for and not being able to help him out. Sometimes, however, things slipped out like on the night before Slughorn's party. Ron was awake when Harry came back in the dorm room. He was so nervous about the next night that his mind just wouldn't rest. Every time he began to drift off, another worry would slam into him. What if he made a fool of himself dancing? What if she took one look at him in dress robes and ran back up to the girls' dormitory? What if McClaggen asked her to dance and she abandoned him? His worries distracted him so much that when Harry tiptoed to his bed, Ron whispered "What's the vow for?"

"Ron, what are you talking about?" Ron gulped. He forgot that Harry wouldn't learn about the Vow until the next night. Quickly, he pretended to be talking in his sleep. "Teddy's a spider...Fred...George..." He trailed off, hoping that if Harry asked him about it later, he could just say he was having a nightmare about all the stuff the twins had done to him when they were younger. He added a snore for good measure. He relaxed as Harry chuckled and climbed into bed.

Ron admonished himself. He couldn't keep slipping up like that. He hoped he'd be sent back to the future after the party. He couldn't take much more of all this secret keeping. Ron managed to clear his mind of everything but Hermione: her smile, her eyes, her hair, her lips.

"Pinch me, Harry," said Ron as he watched Hermione descend the stairs from the girls' dormitory. Harry made a face, "Why?" Ron didn't respond. He'd lost the ability to form words. Hermione was wearing a blue dress that showed off a lot of leg, but had long sleeves. Her hair was pulled back halfway and was curly, but not frizzy. Ron hadn't even seen that much of her legs when she wore shorts at The Burrow during the summer. Those came to just above her knees. This dress left very little to the imagination, but Ron's imagination went into overdrive anyway. She stood inches before him and he managed to say, "Hey."

"Hey," she replied, smirking. She had a long dress robe in her arms. "I grabbed this for the walk to Slughorn's office since the castle halls are drafty." Ron stared at her for a few seconds, but came to his senses when she started to put the robe on herself. He gently took it from her and helped her into them. "You look great, Hermione," said Harry. "I'm going to go meet up with Luna. I'll see you two there."

_Shit. Harry had complimented Hermione and all Ron had said was 'Hey.' _Ron held out his arm for Hermione to slip hers through. "You look bloody amazing, Hermione." The butterflies in his stomach punched the air in triumph when a blush formed across her cheeks. "Thanks, Ron. You look amazing too." Ron grinned and opened the portrait door for her.

When they reached Slughorn's office, an attendant took Hermione's robe. They couldn't find Harry, so they made their way to the buffet table. They ate in silence until Ron belched. "Excuse me," he said through a mouthful. Hermione screwed up her nose in disgust. _You're supposed to be dancing or kissing by now, you bloody idiot!_ He took a swig of punch, took a step toward the dance floor, held out his hand and asked "Do you want to dance, Hermione?" She answered by putting her hand in his. Ron spotted Harry on the other side of the room, talking to Professor Trelawney and Luna. He thought about going to rescue him, but he figured that part of Dr. Tom's rules included not interfering with Harry's night. A slow song begun just as they reached the center of the dance floor. Ron was unsure where to put his hands. Thankfully, Hermione seemed to know what she was doing. She placed his hands on her waist and put her own on his shoulders. They swayed to the music, inching closer and closer to one another until he their bodies were flush against each other. Hermione looked up and said, "Look. Mistletoe." Slughorn had put mistletoe all over the room and Ron had the sudden urge to shake his hand. He looked down at Hermione's lips after spotting the mistletoe that she was looking at. He leaned down, closing his eyes. Hermione pulled him close and then...a commotion across the room ruined his whole life. At least that's what it felt like.

Hermione couldn't really see what was going on, but Ron could see everything. Draco Malfoy had been found supposedly crashing the party and was being escorted out. "Malfoy is crashing the party, that's all." _And Harry is about to overhear a discussion between Malfoy and Snape that would convince him even more that Malfoy is up to something. _Hermione didn't know the significance of the moment however, and said "Oh, okay." Then she laid her head on his chest and suddenly Ron didn't give a damn about Unbreakable Vows.

They spent the night dancing, mostly to the slow songs. At one point Ron was in such a good mood that he danced with Luna and copied her every move. Hermione laughed and clapped as she watched them. She lit up the whole room as far as Ron was concerned. The size of the crowd began to dwindle and eventually Ron and Hermione left as well. Halfway to Griffindor Tower, Ron gathered up all his courage and leaned in to kiss Hermione. Unfortunately she became distracted by the sounds of other party goers walking by at the other end of the hall, so he kissed her ear.

"What was that?" she asked.

"I...I...was...trying to kiss you." Ron was pretty sure that his whole body blushed at that moment.

"Oh, I see," she looked up at him and smiled. "Do you want to try that again?"

Ron answered by tucking a stray hair behind her ear and stroking her cheek. She leaned into his hand and kissed the palm. Ron felt heat rush straight through him; his skin was on fire. He cupped her face in both hands and leaned down as she stood on her toes. Their lips met and Ron growled. She parted his lips with her tongue and explored his mouth first, but he thoroughly returned the favor. He swore he had died and gone to heaven. Her hands gripped his hair and held his lips to hers so he couldn't escape if he wanted to. But, he didn't want to; he wanted to live here. He could figure out a way to make it through school and help Harry while kissing Hermione the whole time. Hermione certainly could figure out a way. Their lips did part briefly so they could breathe, but then Hermione pushed up against the wall. Ron had never been so aroused in his entire life. Her robe wasn't fastened shut, so he could see her bare legs. He slipped his hand down from her waist to her arse, which made Hermione make the most wonderful sounds. Ron moved his mouth down to her neck and Hermione's moans grew louder since they were no longer muffled by his mouth. His erection was obvious now, so he attempted to turn it away from Hermione so he wouldn't frighten her off, but she kept pressing her groin into his. Ron was pretty sure this was what the twins had been talking about when he overheard them talking about dry humping. Whatever it was, Ron wanted more.

"Hermione," he moaned.

"She's not here yet, you wanker!"

Ron's eyes flew open. He was in the loo at The Burrow and was sporting a rather impressive hard-on. Fred stood in the doorway laughing at him. Ron slammed the door shut and splashed cold water over his head. When he exited the loo, he had determined that he had fallen asleep standing up and had the most realistic dream ever.

"I can't wait to tell Hermione that her boyfriend has wet dreams about her!" George said.

"Boyfriend? Who's Hermione's boyfriend? I'll kick his bloody ass for thinking of her that way!" Ron punched his palm which made the twins burst into renewed laughter.

"You are, you knob! Did you hit your head in there or something?" said Fred.

"Me? What?" Ron was gobsmacked. Apparently it had all been real and now Hermione was his girlfriend. Hermione was his girlfriend! Ron ran over and hugged the twins, which completely shocked them, then he ran off to his room.

"You know, George, I do think he must have hit his head in there, the poor lad."

"It made him think he'd gone to see a magical therapist called Dr. Tom just so he could make things right with Hermione. Do you think we should tell him?" The twins looked at each other and laughed. "No way! We have to watch him try to snog Hermione when she gets here!"

"I do think our new therapy daydream product has passed its final test, George."

Later that morning, Hermione was utterly confused when Ron walked up to her and kissed her until her toes curled. She kissed him right back, however, to the twins great disappointment.

**Author's Note: **I had originally planned to leave Ron back in sixth year for a long time, but I hadn't touched this story in over a year, but I wanted to complete it in a way that was somewhat satisfying. I hope you enjoyed it!


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